Sha’iltot: The Book That Secured Rav Acha’s Legacy

The world of Jewish literature is vast and rich, filled with thousands of works of halacha and aggadah. The earliest written text of the Oral Torah is the Mishnah, followed by the Gemara. But have you ever wondered what came next?

Surprisingly, the third major work in the chain of Torah literature is the book of Sha'iltot, written by Rav Acha of Shebcha, one of the great figures at the beginning of the Geonic era. Before his time, scholars had not considered writing new books of Torah law. After all, the Talmud already explained the mitzvot in depth. What more was needed?

A Scholar from Pumbedita

Rav Acha was born in the year 480 (680 CE) and grew up in Pumbedita, home to one of the most famous yeshivot in Jewish history. This yeshiva had been founded centuries earlier by Rav Yehuda, the student of Rav, and was later led by giants such as Abbaye and Rava. In Rav Acha’s time, the head of the yeshiva was Rav Shmuel bar Rav Mari HaKohen, and Rav Acha quickly distinguished himself as one of his most outstanding students.

In the year 748, when Rav Acha was already 68 years old, Rav Shmuel passed away. It seemed obvious that Rav Acha would be appointed as the next head of the yeshiva, continuing the tradition of the Geonim, who taught Torah publicly and sent halachic rulings to Jewish communities across the world.

A Painful Disappointment and a New Path

At that time, the political and communal authority of Babylonian Jewry rested with the Rosh Galuta, the Exilarch, who traced his lineage to King David. The Exilarch then was Shlomo ben Hasdai. For reasons of his own, he chose not to appoint Rav Acha. Instead, he arranged for a younger scholar, Rav Neturi Kahane, to marry his daughter and be appointed as head of the yeshiva, ensuring his own influence over the institution.

This decision deeply pained Rav Acha. Seeing the appointment as driven by politics rather than Torah greatness, he chose to leave Babylon and travel to the Land of Israel.

When he arrived, he found the Jewish community in difficult spiritual condition. The people relied mainly on the Jerusalem Talmud, which was less complete and less clearly explained than the Babylonian Talmud. At the same time, they were unfamiliar with the Babylonian style of learning. Rav Acha took it upon himself to bridge this gap. He began compiling a new work, based primarily on the Babylonian Talmud, to bring its clarity and depth to the Jews of the Land of Israel.

This work became known as Sha'iltot, and it is considered the first Torah book written after the completion of the Babylonian Talmud.

What Makes Sha'iltot Unique

The book is organized according to the weekly Torah portions. Each section begins with a question that had been asked to Rav Acha, which explains the title Sha'iltot, meaning questions. From there, he develops a detailed response, drawing on many passages throughout the Talmud. In this way, the book does more than present rulings. It also teaches the reader how to understand the Talmud itself. When studied carefully, it often opens the sugya and clarifies its deeper structure.

The work became so respected that some early authorities suggested Rav Acha’s teachings were later absorbed into the language of the Gemara. The Tosafot explain that when the Talmud states, “Rav Acha asked,” it may refer to Rav Acha of the Sha'iltot, whose ideas became so widely accepted that they were treated as part of the ongoing Talmudic discussion.

Halacha and Aggadah Woven Together

One of the beautiful features of Sha'iltot is its blend of halacha and aggadah. Alongside legal discussions, Rav Acha includes ethical teachings and spiritual insights, often resembling midrash.

One powerful example describes kindness speaking to the Torah. Kindness says, “Even though you preceded me, you still need me, for the world was created through kindness, as it says, ‘The world is built on kindness.’” Rav Acha explains that kindness alone is like a beautiful woman without adornment. It is the Torah that shapes kindness, gives it form, and elevates it into something truly meaningful.

A Legacy That Endures

At first, the sages of Babylon mourned the loss of such a towering scholar. But when they saw the extraordinary achievement of Sha'iltot, they recognized its greatness. The book became a foundational work throughout the Geonic period and beyond.

Centuries later, the Netziv of Volozhin wrote an extensive commentary on Sha'iltot, uncovering its depth and revealing the brilliance of its structure and method. He described Rav Acha as a bridge between the sages of the Talmud and the great Torah thinkers who came after.

Rav Acha passed away in the Land of Israel at the age of 80. The location of his grave is unknown, but his legacy lives on through the work that helped shape the future of Torah study.